Bukalo:Dr. Richard Kamwi, Zambezi's malaria ambassador and former health minister, officially launched the indoor residual spraying (IRS) campaign in Bukalo, located in the Katima Rural Constituency of the Zambezi Region.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the IRS programme, which began on Monday, is set to continue until December 11, 2026. Dr. Kamwi addressed the deployment teams, urging the need for increased interventions to combat malaria. He highlighted the current spraying coverage of over 40%, which falls short of the World Health Organisation's recommended 80% target.

The Zambezi Region comprises 11 clusters, with Bukalo as one of them. The area has over 40 people divided into teams, and other clusters include Schuckmannsburg, Lisikili, Ngoma, Chinchimani, Masokotwani, Sangwali, Kasheshe, Sibbinda, Sesheke, and Cheto.

Dr. Kamwi appealed to village headmen to allow IRS teams into their homes to reduce malaria fatalities. He noted that since the beginning of the year, 21 malaria-related deaths have occurred, up from 19 during the same period last year, with many victims being children under five and expectant mothers.

He assured the region that effective performance by the trained teams would result in a decline in malaria deaths by reducing the adult Anopheles mosquito population and transmission rates.

During the Lusata Cultural Festival, Zambezi Governor Dorothy Kabula-Simushi expressed concern over the over 30,000 malaria cases reported in the region between January and September 2026, a rise from 25,716 cases during the same period in 2025. She attributed the increase partly to residents' reluctance to allow spraying teams into their homes and urged community cooperation in the fight against malaria.